One, Two, Buckle My Shoe
by csiAngel
Summary: [William Series Story Seven] A past case comes back to haunt them...
1. Chapter 1 - Knock at the Door

Title: One, Two, Buckle My Shoe  
Author: csiAngel  
Disclaimer: I do not own Lie to me* or the words of the nursery rhyme used.  
Rating: T  
Summary: [William Series Story Seven] A past case comes back to haunt them…  
A/N: Thank you to Victoria for assisting with the title, and therefore, unknowingly, part of the plot and for reading this through for me.

_Chapter One – Knock at the Door_

Gillian rushed into The Lightman Group offices, the files from her most recent case tucked under her arm. Cal instantly swept into step beside her as she passed the waiting area.

"Finally, darling! I was gathering a search party."

Sure enough, a glance over her shoulder revealed several staff members dispersing behind them. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry. Traffic is horrendous and my cell died. The charger must be in your car."

She shot him a pointed look and he had the good grace to look sheepish. "Yeah, I did borrow it," he muttered.

"Give me two minutes to sort this stuff out and I'll be right with you," she smiled at him as they entered her office.

"Two minutes," he agreed, "I'm going to get my coat. You'll be ready to leave when I return."

"Yes, sir," she smirked at him.

"We should still make our reservation," he added as he left.

Gillian dropped her files onto her desk, catching sight of a small pile of envelopes as she did so. She glanced between the work and what were most likely Christmas cards, considering whether or not she had time to open the mail. Feeling the seconds ticking by – and deciding that she deserved a break from work given the journey back to the office – she smiled to herself. She unlocked the drawer of her desk and relocated the files. They could wait.

Two minutes. She could open a few cards and be ready to leave when Cal came back. So, she sat down and lifted the first envelope as she did so. Opening it revealed a snowy landscape, the snow glistening by way of glitter. It was from a recent client, their thanks and appreciation expressed once more inside. Gillian smiled and stood the card on her desk.

The second card was a Christmas tree adorned with red and green decorations. This one was from the law firm in the offices downstairs.

She was in the process of opening the third card (having skipped two items of mail that looked decidedly un-Christmassy) when Cal stepped into her office. He released an exaggerated gasp of disbelief.

"Not work, love!" he pointed out in mock horror.

"I needed to recapture the festive spirit after that traffic jam," she explained, throwing in a little pout for good measure. She removed the card from the envelope while Cal crossed the room and stood in front of her desk. He nosed at the two cards she had already looked at and she turned her attention to the latest: A cheerful image of children round a tree. When she opened it, though, her heart thudded. Fear seized her body as she read the words inside – _One, two, buckle my shoe, three, four knock at _your _door_ - and she somehow managed to force out, "Cal."

"I was just readi—" No doubt the lack of colour in her face stopped him. "Gill?"

She handed him the card. "Hold it where I am holding it," she instructed, then she moved instantly to the phone on her desk, dialling the nanny's number as quickly as she could. "I'm calling Heather," she told Cal and he immediately took out his cell phone.

"I'll call Ben."

"Heather, it's Gill," she said when the call was answered. She tried her best to sound calm. She didn't want to alarm Heather; she needed her to be thinking clearly. "How is everything?"

"Gill, we're fine. Go and have your romantic evening." She could hear the smile in Heather's tone and heard Emily call from the background. She had apparently arrived early to take over babysitting duties from Heather. "Stop worrying!" Gillian did tend to call two or three – six - times whenever she left William in the evening.

"Heather, I don't want you to panic…"

She could hear Cal on the phone to Ben, arranging for a police car to be sent to her home. Swallowing her fear, she tried to keep her voice steady. "I want you to make sure that all the doors and windows are locked."

"Okay…"

She could hear the uncertainty in Heather's voice, but could also hear that she was moving to do as she asked.

"Keep William with you, please, until I get there. I'll explain then. The police are on their way to the house. I'm going to call you back from a different phone in a minute…"

Cal shouted out into the corridor for Loker and Torres.

"… When the police arrive I want you to check with me before opening the door." She relayed what she had heard Cal arrange on the phone.

"All right," Heather agreed. "We're fine here, Gill. Okay? Are you all right?"

"I just want to get home as soon as I can."

Loker and Torres entered the office, their annoyance at being summoned the way they were quickly replaced with worry as soon as they saw Gillian and Cal.

"I'm gonna call you back from Loker's cell…" She gestured for the younger man to hand over said phone. "Okay? Don't answer the door."

She started dialling on Loker's phone before she had even put down the other handset. While she waited for the call to connect, she snatched her purse from the desk and headed for the door. She was vaguely aware of Cal explaining to Loker and Torres as they followed behind her.

"Gill? What's going on? Are you and Dad okay?"

She should have expected that Emily would want to talk to her herself. "We're fine, Em. Just a problem with a case. I just want to be cautious. That's all. Don't worry."

"You're on your way here?"

"Leaving the office now… Stay on the line, please… Is William okay?"

They descended the stairs faster than they ever had before.

"He's oblivious. Do you want to speak to him?"

While the immediate answer to that, in her head, was 'yes', at the same time she was terrified that if she spoke to William she might lose her grip on her control. But, if something were to happen to him before - She shook her head to cut off that line of thinking.

Cal opened the car door for her, resting his hand ever so briefly on her shoulder as she swept inside.

"Er, yes. Please, Emily, put William on."

His "Hi, mommy," brought tears to her eyes but she fought to stop her voice from shaking as she asked him about his day. If he was speaking to her on the phone then he was safe.

She let that comforting thought override all others and spoke to him all the way home.

TBC


	2. Chapter 2 - Pick Up Sticks

_Chapter Two – Pick Up Sticks_

'The Nursery Rhyme Killings'. That was the name the FBI had given to the case last year. Each victim had received a note shortly before they disappeared and were later found dead – a note consisting only of lines from a well-known rhyme, and a photograph of themselves. There had been three victims before The Lightman Group was brought in to assist. Three victims and no concrete leads. Cal, Gillian, Loker and Torres had gone over every minute of footage from every interview the FBI had recorded. They had re-interviewed several people at their offices; gone house to house in the victims' neighbourhoods. There was a fourth victim by the time they had identified Jacob First as the killer.

Gillian didn't think she would ever forget the ice cold look in his eyes as he watched them come to the realisation that he was the man they were after: The stare, the smirk that curled only the right side of his mouth. She could still feel the shiver that ran down her spine as he had whispered, "We all fall down."

She shook her head to clear it of those thoughts – even though she knew it would only be temporary. She pushed away from the wall and waited for William. Moments later, he walked out of the bathroom and stopped in front of Gillian, where she was hovering just outside the door.

"All set?" she asked him, plastering a smile on her face and keeping her tone light. William didn't need to know that anything was wrong. He hadn't asked why they were staying at Cal's house and she was hoping it would never come up.

"All set," he smiled up at her, sleepily.

They walked the few steps to the door of what would be William's room and Gillian stopped him from going further.

"Okay, honey, do you remember where I will be sleeping?"

William nodded emphatically and pointed at the door across the hall. "That's your room." Then he pointed out each of the other doors as he added, "That's M and M's room and that's Cal Lightyear's room."

"Very good. So if you need us, that's where we'll be."

"Got it," William grinned. "But I'm pretty tired, mom. Don't think I'll need you," he said as he wandered towards the bed.

Chuckling to herself, Gillian followed him. "Well, it is past your bedtime."

William climbed up onto the bed then nodded. "Because we had to go out." He lifted the duvet and shuffled underneath it. "Does our house have bugs?" he asked her, wearing a small frown as he lay down.

Gillian sat down on the edge of the bed. "No, our house doesn't have bugs."

"Oh. Sammy's house had bugs and he went to live at his uncle's house for a whole week! Will we live here for a whole week?"

Gillian couldn't tell if the idea of that pleased William or not. "I haven't decided how long we'll live here for yet. Is that okay?" She fixed the duvet around him.

William nodded. "Cal Lightyear has a Christmas tree too."

Even after all this time there were moments when Gillian had no idea how William's mind worked.

"It's a nice Christmas tree, isn't it?" she remarked.

"Yep. M and M said she decorated it."

Gillian smiled. "She usually does."

"Is Cal Lightyear sick?" William asked next, worry creasing his little face.

"No," Gillian answered instantly. "No, Cal is not sick."

"Julie lived with her Granddad when he was sick."

"Cal is very well. Don't worry… Time for you to go to sleep."

William nodded and rolled onto his side, snuggling into the covers. Gillian leaned over and kissed him gently on the temple. At least his round of questioning had served to distract her mind for a little while.

"Goodnight, honey," she said, softly.

"Goodnight, mommy."

She pulled back and looked down at him. His lips were pursed in thought, his eyes open and focussed on her as if he wanted to ask another question. It occurred to her that she should have got out of there while she had the chance. She should have known that he was bound to ask why they were there, eventually.

"Do you have another question?" she asked him, unable to bring herself to pretend that she hadn't noticed and ignore it.

He nodded and rolled onto his back. "Is Cal Lightyear my dad now?"

She was less prepared for that question than she had been for him asking why they were staying with Cal. When she failed to reply, William continued.

"George went to live at his mom's friend Joe's house because he was his new dad."

This line of questioning and confusion was exactly why she had avoided staying at Cal's, or having Cal stay at her house. She knew exactly where she hoped their relationship was heading but she and Cal had never discussed it. She could hardly explain that to William.

"Er, no, honey. We're not living here because Cal is your new dad."

"You love me enough for a trillion zillion mazillion moms and dads," he grinned, reminding her of a conversation they had months ago.

"A gazillion trillion zillion mazillion moms and dads," she replied, leaning over to plant a strong kiss on his forehead.

William giggled. "You're funny, mommy."

"And you're tired, William. Time to go to sleep.

"No more questions," he stated.

"Not tonight. Sleep tight."

"You too, mom."

He made himself comfortable again and Gillian stepped away. She paused in the doorway after turning out the light. Her stomach churned, thinking of how differently tonight could have gone. Regardless of how awkward it might become, trying to explain her relationship with Cal, all that mattered was keeping William safe.

She was still watching William when Emily came to stand beside her. Gillian turned to smile at her.

"I think you should hear what Ben has planned," Emily said, "I'm going to stay up here and read for a while."

Gillian smiled, gratefully, at Emily's veiled offer to keep an eye on William. "Thanks, Em." They stepped away from William's door. "Are you okay?"

Emily nodded, but her shoulders shrugged. "Yeah. I'm glad you're both here."

Gillian stepped forward and enveloped Emily in a hug.

"Let me know if you're not okay, Em. You don't have to be strong for us." She rubbed her back gently then stood back. "The next few days are going to be strange. You know where I am if you need me."

"Thanks, Gill," Emily smiled softly.

"Aren't you glad you get such a long Christmas break?"

… …

Gillian found Cal in the kitchen with Ben and the team of agents they had been introduced to when they arrived. It seemed she had walked in on the end of their briefing as Ben soon dismissed the team. He turned to Gillian and offered her a sympathetic look while the others filed out.

"How's William?" Ben asked her.

"Wondering why we're here, but, otherwise still oblivious. I'm going to stay home until this is over."

Ben nodded and a glance at Cal confirmed that he had expected that as well.

"The team will check in with you whenever they handover but apart from that they'll leave you alone…"

Gillian listened as Ben summarised what he had no doubt already gone through with Cal: The security detail; the investigations already underway…

"…We're considering several angles," he concluded, "It's a copycat; it's a decoy designed to make us think we got the wrong guy or… we got the wrong guy."

Cal and Gillian responded simultaneously and immediately, "We didn't."

They had been involved in multiple interviews, separately and together. He was their guy. They were certain of that. Even now.

Gillian was inclined to think that this was an attempt by First to intimidate her ahead of his trial.

"I'm with you," Ben agreed, "So we're looking for known associates, people First could somehow have made contact with. We'll keep you posted. For now, try to get some rest. The house is covered."

Gillian nodded though she doubted she would be getting any sleep that night.

"I'll see you in the morning," Ben told them, then he excused himself and left via the back door. Cal locked it behind him.

He turned back to Gillian and smiled, tenderly, though worry still edged his features.

"Thank you for agreeing to stay here, darling," he said, quietly.

Gillian gave a small shrug. "You're right. It makes sense. They need to keep an eye on all of us. That's easier if we're together and your place is bigger."

Cal approached her as she spoke, stopping just in front of her.

"… I have to say though," she added, "these are rather extreme lengths to go to to get us to stay over." She managed a genuine smile with that comment, needing to lighten the tone a little.

"Desperate times, love," he smiled back. "The next step is to persuade you that the guest room you're insisting on sleeping in is haunted."

She laughed at that, then more seriously warned him, "Cal…"

"I know. I know and I understand."

She nodded and placed a gentle hand on his chest. "Thank you."

"Anything for you love, you know that."

She accepted a gentle kiss from him then he settled his arms around her, just holding her for several minutes until he spoke again.

"I'm going to have to give William his Christmas present early."

Not understanding where that had suddenly come from, Gillian frowned and pulled back so she could see his face. "Why?"

"Well, when it's light, he'll probably notice it."

Her frown deepened - even more so when Cal made a quick call, informing the security team that he was about to activate the rear outdoor light and they shouldn't panic. He guided Gillian to the window then moved to switch on said light.

When it illuminated what was in the garden, she gasped aloud. "Cal!"

There stood, in the middle of the lawn, a slide and climbing frame; an elaborate maze of tunnels, ladders.

"I couldn't resist," he grinned as he returned to stand beside her. Off her look he added, "It can stay here, don't worry. I'll handle all the maintenance."

Gillian observed the gleeful sparkle in his eyes and couldn't bring herself to be anything but grateful for the fact that Cal loved William so much. "You've played on it, haven't you?"

He shrugged, non-committal. "Maybe."

Laughing she wrapped an arm around him, settling into his embrace when he draped his arm across her shoulders. Resting her head on his shoulder, she looked out at the adventure play area he had created. "Thanks, Cal. He'll love it."

"I know," Cal quipped, confidently. "And seeing as he'll get this before Christmas, now, you don't need to worry about it outshining whatever you've bought him."

Gillian slapped him, playfully, with the hand that had come to rest on his chest. Cal's only response was to squeeze her tighter.

TBC


	3. Chapter 3 - Lay Them Straight

_Chapter Three – Lay Them Straight_

Despite the early hour, when he went downstairs, Cal found that Gillian and William were already up. William was at the dining table finishing a bowl of cereal and Gillian was moving about his kitchen as if she lived there. He smiled. In spite of the reason for them being there, it was nice to wake up to this.

"Morning," he greeted them, shooting a wave to William as he crossed the room to stand beside Gillian. She paused in the process of plating up toast to look at him.

"Morning," she replied and he leaned in to kiss her softly.

"Did you get some sleep?" he asked her, quietly, staying close to her.

"A little. Every sound had me on edge."

"You'll get used to the sounds of the house…" She didn't need to know that he had barely slept either. "I'm going to go to the office. I've called Loker and Torres in. We'll go over everything we have from the First case and see if anything jumps out."

Gillian nodded. "Send me some files. I'll work from here when I can."

"Gill -" The look she reacted with forestalled his argument. He knew better than to take on a mother protecting her child. "I'll send you some files," he acquiesced.

"Thank you… Do you want some toast?"

"Yes please, love."

She handed him the plate and he stole another kiss. "I could get used to this," he whispered.

"The novelty will soon wear off," she whispered back.

"Oh, I doubt that, darling." He kissed her again and then they shared a smile. "Is it okay if I show William his present before I go?"

"Sure… You'd better send files that I can work on while sitting outside."

…

"Keep your eyes closed," Cal instructed as he and Gillian led William through the back door and round to the best view of his present. "No peeking."

"My hat is over my eyes anyway," William giggled.

He had been positively giddy with intrigue when they had told him he needed to wrap up warm for his surprise. It was Cal who had pulled the hat down over his eyes, only increasing the giddiness.

"Oh, so it is!" Cal replied. "Okay, keep your eyes closed while I move your hat." He took hold of the fabric. "Are they closed?"

"Yep."

Cal moved the hat up to sit properly on William's head. "All right…" Cal smiled at Gillian – and clearly he was just as excited as William. "Open your eyes!"

Gillian watched William's eyes widen and his mouth fall open in awe as he took in the sight before him. "Wow!"

He took a step nearer to it, tilting his head this way and that as he studied it intensely. "It's amazing," he enthused.

"It's all yours," Cal told him. "It's an early Christmas present."

William's eyes grew even wider as he looked first at Cal and then at Gillian in disbelief. "Really?" he asked his mom.

Gillian nodded. "Really."

William turned, quickly, towards Cal and threw his arms around him. "Thank you, Cal Lightyear."

Cal hugged him back. "You're welcome. Are you going to try it out before I go to work?"

William looked to Gillian for permission, practically dancing with anticipation.

"Go ahead," she grinned.

William's response of "Thanks, mom," drifted back to them as he ran across the lawn.

Cal fell in beside Gillian and they walked closer as they watched William explore.

"You know, I may have been wrong, love," Cal said to her.

She frowned. "About what?"

His eyes followed William around the structure and he shook his head, slowly. "This may still outshine whatever you have bought him."

… …

Gillian soon found – and she suspected Cal had known she would – that she couldn't concentrate on reviewing interviews and be fully aware of what was going on around them; be alert to possible threats. Even though she knew that the house was under constant surveillance, she could not – and would not – let her guard down. Even if Emily was entertaining William, Gillian felt that she needed to be on watch. Despite Emily being eighteen and a college student, the urge to protect her was just as strong as the need to protect William.

And so, she reluctantly accepted that, during the day, the others were on the case; there was little she could do from that side of things. Instead they fell into a routine where she would spend the day with William – and Emily if she wanted to join them – and in the evenings, when Cal was home to keep watch, Gillian would lend her expertise to the investigation.

By day three, they had played every board game that Cal owned, watched every child-friendly movie they could find in his collection and created so many paintings and drawings that there was very little space left to display them. Ben had suggested that if Gillian wanted to go out, the detail could quite easily accompany them. But, given that every little sound and unexpected movement in and around the house still put her on edge, Gillian found the mere thought of being out in public too daunting. She was prepared to remain cooped up at the house for as long as it took.

Unfortunately, it was looking like it might take a while. Fingerprints on the card and envelope had not yielded anything useful. None of the interviews from the original investigation provided anything either. There was no information on any associates; nothing to indicate who might have stepped in to try to intimidate Gillian on First's behalf.

Gillian closed her laptop and let herself sink back into the couch. It felt like they were getting nowhere. She felt completely powerless. And the very little sleep she had had since Friday evening was starting to catch up with her. She ran a hand across her aching eyes, then opened them to find Cal watching her from his chair across the room.

"I was about to suggest that you call it a night," he explained.

She smiled, self-consciously. "I just keep telling myself that if I watch it one more time…"

"You're doing everything you can, darling."

"I need to do more."

Cal stood up and moved to sit beside her. He draped an arm across the back of the couch, sitting sideways so he could face her. "I know you do," he uttered, understandingly, tenderly running his fingers through her hair.

She closed her eyes and settled her head into his touch, sighing contentedly after a minute or so. Cal used his free hand to remove her laptop from her and place it behind him. Then he shuffled closer, bringing her head to rest against his shoulder and wrapping both arms around her. She nestled into him.

"Get some rest, love," he whispered, softly.

"I can't sleep, Cal," she murmured, drowsily – the first time she had admitted that. He knew already, of course.

"I know, darling," he said, soothingly, holding her securely. "I know."

Two minutes later she was sleeping soundly in his arms.

TBC


	4. Chapter 4 - A Big Fat Hen

_Chapter Four – A Big Fat Hen_

"Gill… Gill…"

Gillian's eyes fluttered open to the sound of her name being called. She blinked a couple of times and Cal's face came into focus. Reading his expression, she sat up immediately.

"What is it?"

"Ben called. They might have a lead on who purchased the card. I'm going to go with them while they follow it up."

She nodded. "Okay."

"William's up. He's having his breakfast."

Gillian glanced, wide-eyed, towards the clock beside her bed. "William's - … What time is it?"

"Just after seven."

"Seven?" That meant she had slept for nearly nine hours since Cal had walked her up to bed the night before.

"You needed it, love."

She nodded her acknowledgement of that point. "I suppose I did… I'll be down in a minute."

"Ben'll be here in twenty. I'm gonna jump in the shower."

"Okay."

… …

By noon, Gillian had not heard anything further from Cal or Ben. She, William and Emily had spent some time outside while William climbed, but a turn in the weather had forced them back inside. Unable to focus on a game or movie, Gillian had taken to cleaning while William and Emily played Monopoly. When one of Emily's friends called from vacation in Europe, William said he would help Gillian clean. And he asked if they could do his room. So now they had the furniture in the centre of the room while William ran a duster over it all and Gillian cleaned the baseboards. Vacuuming was too loud.

William was keeping Gillian amused and entertained, singing or humming to himself while he cleaned – his favourite choice of song being that sung by the mice in Disney's Cinderella. It particularly made her smile to hear him putting on the voices of the different mice.

Despite the constant presence of fear, it had been nice to spend time with William. He hadn't asked any questions since the first night and Gillian was grateful that he seemed unaware of the potential danger. She barely knew how to deal with everything herself, let alone how to help a five year old deal with it. Logically she knew that she had the training in her to handle it all. But logic was hard to come by when every shadow was a possible threat.

As Gillian reached the corner of the room, William's singing had moved on to Be Our Guest from Beauty and the Beast. He stopped, though, after the first two lines.

"Mom?"

Gillian rested back on her feet, kneeling up to see him over the bed. "Yeah?" She smiled widely when she saw him. He was leaning against the bedside table, one elbow rested on the surface, his head rested in his hand, adorably puzzled.

"Will you sing it, please? I don't remember all the words."

"Only if you join in with the words you do remember."

"Okay," he grinned, bouncing up from his despondent position and then running the duster over the spot where his elbow had been.

Gillian chuckled at the sight and started the song from the beginning.

…

They had just reached "Course by course…" in their second rendition of the song when Gillian's cell phone rang. They both stopped singing and Gillian retraced her steps round the outside of the room to retrieve the device from the bed. She had just reached for it when there was a clattering sound from outside the house. They both looked immediately towards the window, though neither was in a position to see the garden through it. Gillian fought not to look anxious as she made her way closer.

"What was that?" William asked, his brow furrowed.

"I bet the wind has blown something over," she said with a forced smile. "I'll have a look."

Glancing at her still ringing phone, she saw it was Cal calling and answered it as she moved. She greeted him as if everything was fine, for William's benefit, but soon had her fear confirmed that it wasn't fine when he responded with a mixture of relief and urgency.

"Finally! Gill, you scared me. We've found him, but we think he's on his way to – "

Another loud banging noise from outside overpowered his words and was quickly followed by another.

"Gill?" Cal had obviously heard them down the phone.

"Yeah, William and I are just wondering what damage the wind is causing outside," she told him, forcing her voice to be steady as she glanced outside, noticing that a back fence panel was down and broken. "Looks like part of the fence is down," she told Cal, moving quickly to get to William. She strained to hear what was going on, hoped to hear the voices of their security detail but there was nothing now.

"Honey, just wait here while I see what's going on, okay?"

"I want to see," William responded, excitedly.

She was just wondering how on Earth to persuade him that he needed to stay put when Emily appeared in the bedroom doorway, wide-eyed and slightly breathless.

"It's okay," she reassured Gillian, her expression saying so much more than she could if they didn't want William to hear.

"It's okay?" Gillian checked, her expression asking if Emily had spoken to the security team.

Emily nodded. "Everything's okay."

"Did the wind blow the fence down?" William asked Emily and Gillian realised she still had the phone in her hand.

"Cal?" she asked, raising it to her ear.

"I heard," he replied, "You're all okay?"

"We're fine."

She gestured for Emily to keep William with her, upstairs, and once his attention was suitably drawn into conversation, Gillian slipped out of the bedroom, resuming the phone call.

"I'm going to find out what's going on," she told Cal as she made her way to the stairs. "You're on your way here?" She could tell from the background noise that Cal was in transit, and knew there was no way on Earth he would not have been heading to the house once he knew that's where the suspect was headed.

"We're a couple of minutes away. Ben's finally managed to reach the detail: They've got him."

"At the house?"

"Yeah, love."

She wasn't sure whether or not she actually wanted to know the answer to her next question, but she felt compelled to ask. "… Inside the house?"

There was a pause in their conversation while Cal spoke to Ben.

"No. They got to him before he found a way in."

That gave her some amount of relief. She stopped just inside the kitchen, looking at the downed fence panel outside the window. He had got very close.

"Gill? Are you there?"

"Yeah. Sorry."

"Are you all right?"

"Yeah. I'm fine… I'll wait until you and Ben get here before I talk to anyone."

"I'd much prefer that, love. We're nearly there. Stay on the line?"

"Sure."

…

Gillian met Cal at the front door two minutes later and he instantly embraced her. He hugged her tightly then cupped her cheeks and ran his eyes over her face, then the length of her body.

"Cal, I'm fine."

"I doubt you would have told me if you weren't, though."

"We're all fine. William and Emily are still upstairs." She looked past Cal, while his eyes continued to check her over, and asked Ben, "Who is he?"

"We've ID'd him as Martin Eastwick," Ben related, "So far we haven't found a connection to First. Having him in custody should make that easier."

"We'll interview him in the Cube," Cal added. "I just want to say hello to William and Em."

Cal squeezed her hand as he walked past her, heading for the stairs.

Gillian refocused her attention on Ben. She knew what was coming.

"The surveillance will continue," he told her, "Until we're sure the threat is neutralised."

She nodded her head slowly. "Let's hope it is."

TBC


	5. Chapter 5 - Dig and Delve

_Chapter Five –Dig and Delve_

Gillian paused the video and turned to Cal, seated beside her at his dining table. "He's definitely pleased with himself when asked about First, but he seems to be telling the truth about not knowing him."

"That's the same conclusion we came to."

"We're checking visitor logs, cellmates, family members," Ben contributed, "It's possible he doesn't know First but was hired through someone else."

She turned back to the still image of Martin Eastwick, frozen on the screen. He looked confident. Throughout the interview he had looked confident. He did not, however, look homicidal.

"We noticed that too," Cal remarked, obviously able to tell where her thoughts had gone. "It doesn't look like his intention was to hurt you."

"But he's not talking," Ben continued, "So we can't be sure what is going on. And we can't be sure that there isn't anyone else involved."

"So… sit tight?"

"Afraid so." Ben stood up. "Cal, I'll pick you up at eight in the morning."

Cal nodded and he and Gillian stood to see Ben out. The agent called a goodbye to Emily and William who had been reading in the living room. William ran out to wave to him.

"Bye, Agent Ben!"

"Bye, kid. Take care of your mom."

"Okay."

He gave William a high five and then left. Cal closed the door behind him, locking it securely.

"Agent Ben is cool," William commented as they walked towards the kitchen.

"He is," Gillian agreed.

"I'm cool too," Cal argued.

William just laughed, oblivious to the distraught look that brought to Cal's face. He climbed up onto a stool and watched Gillian move around to start dinner.

"I am cool," Cal muttered, moving to help Gillian.

"Yes you are," she humoured him, her own amusement dancing in her eyes as she grabbed a pan from the cupboard.

Cal sidled up close to her, snaking an arm round her waist, and bringing his lips close to her ear so he could speak quietly. "Is it wrong that I'm not entirely unhappy that we're all still under surveillance?" he asked her, intentionally brushing his lips against her skin as he spoke.

"Yes," she answered him definitively, but she shivered at his touch.

He lowered his voice even further. "Well then, I need to be punished."

She laughed, once, out loud, and turned in his hold, pushing him back a step. "Karma will catch up with you."

"I'd rather -"

She put two fingers to his lips to stop him, inclining her head to indicate William who was watching them closely and quite seriously.

Cal smiled at the boy. William's expression didn't change. Recognising what was about to happen, Gillian busied herself with putting water in the pan. She could have warned Cal, but who was she to interfere with karma?

"Do you love my mom?"

A mixture of shock, amusement and intrigue rushed Gillian's mind. She bit her lip to keep from smiling too widely when amusement won control of her features. For all she was surprised that William had asked that, she really wanted to know how Cal would answer. It was about time he had to deal with these questions.

"Do I -"

"Do you love my mom?" William repeated his question, patiently.

Cal glanced towards Gillian but she pretended not to notice, going about her business measuring out spaghetti. She snuck a peek at them when she heard Cal walk over to William. He sat down on the stool beside him. William rested his elbow on the side, planting his head on his hand. Waiting. Cal did the same.

"Yeah, I love your mom."

"A lot?"

She could hear the smile in Cal's voice when he replied to that one.

"Yeah. A lot."

When nothing more was said, Gillian turned round to see what was going on. They were still face to face and William was grinning at Cal. He spotted her watching and leaned forward to whisper something she couldn't hear.

Cal laughed at whatever it was and then nodded. William seemed happy with that answer. He scooted off the stool. "I'm going to read my book," he announced as he skipped out of the room.

"What did he ask you?" Gillian enquired once William was out of earshot.

"Oh, I couldn't possibly tell you that, darling." He smirked and began to walk towards her.

"Cal."

"All right, but you can't tell him I told you."

"Of course."

He stopped in front of her and slid his hands around her waist. Hers came to rest on his arms.

"He asked if I would like to kiss you."

Her eyes widened at that, before narrowing as she considered whether or not to believe him. "Really?"

"Really, love… I think he may have seen too many Disney movies," he chuckled.

"There's no such thing as too many Disney movies, Cal."

Cal laughed again, shaking his head, slowly. "He takes after his mom."

"I think we've gone off point here."

Cal inched closer. "Would you like to kiss me, darling?"

"Not if you're going to be all smug about it."

Cal's lips curled into a gentle smile. "Who wouldn't be smug about getting to kiss you?"

"Well you could waste time being smug or you could -"

He decided not to waste any more time.

… …

Gillian was at the table with William the following morning when Cal went downstairs. He was finishing a phone call as he approached them but he paused to kiss Gillian's cheek and ruffle William's hair.

"Right. Yeah. I'll tell her."

He ended the call and shoved the phone into his pocket. "Morning Fosters," he greeted them while Gillian met his gaze, asking with her eyes if the call had delivered important information.

He angled his head towards the kitchen, asking, "Does anyone need toast?"

He left and Gillian followed him.

"What is it?" she queried when they were alone.

"They've connected Eastwick to Bob Elfman. His cousin."

"What?" Gillian breathed. "How -"

Gillian had worked the Bob Elfman case last month. He was arrested for tax fraud.

"Elfman's working with Jacob First?"

Cal shook his head. "They don't think so. It looks like Eastwick used First's M.O. to send everyone on a wild goose chase."

"Well, that worked."

"Yeah. Ben's on his way. Hopefully we'll get more out of Eastwick now we know about Elfman."

"This doesn't make any sense."

"No. But let's hope that by the end of the day it will."

Gillian nodded, absently, as she tried to piece it all together.

"Hey," Cal encouraged, touching her arm. He waited until she met his eyes before continuing. "It's nearly over."

She forced a smile. "Yeah. We could be out of your hair by dinner time."

"Finally!"

Cal smiled at her, tenderly, until the smile she returned was genuine.

… …

"You're sure?"

"As sure as we can be," Ben answered. "We cannot find anything at all to link Eastwick or Elfman to First. Eastwick didn't like it when we told him our theory. Admitted he wanted to scare you; wanted you to know what it was like to lose everything. He really was not happy that we figured out his ruse."

"I've got the video, in case you want to see it, love."

She nodded, thoughtfully. "Maybe later."

"We're confident that there's no threat. Elfman didn't know anything about Eastwick's plan. And was devastated when he heard."

"I've got that footage too. Torres and I have been over it." A smile quirked his lips, but he couldn't shake a sense of disappointment. "It's over, darling."

TBC


	6. Chapter 6 - Maids a-courting

_Chapter Six – Maids a-courting_

William was frowning at Gillian – not the response she had expected him to have.

"Do we have to?" he asked her, sitting up in his bed and leaning towards her. "I like it here," he whispered as if it were a secret.

"I know you do, honey. But you also like our house. You just don't remember because we've been away for so long." She kept her voice light and tickled his sides as she said that.

William giggled and wriggled, then agreed that she was probably right.

She settled him back in bed. "We'll pack up our things in the morning and go and see how our house is doing."

William pouted a little. "I hope it has bugs."

Gillian managed to suppress her laughter. "No you don't."

"I do."

She simply stared him down.

"I like bugs."

Gillian smiled, softly. "Goodnight, honey." She kissed his forehead and pulled the covers up to his chin.

"Have sweet dreams, mommy."

"You too, sweetheart."

…

Cal was sitting reading in the living room when Gillian went downstairs. She sat beside him on the couch and he closed his book, angling his body towards her.

"He doesn't want to leave," she told him with a small sigh.

"Then don't make him leave," Cal responded, dropping his book onto the coffee table.

She shot him a look. "We'll be perfectly safe at home, Cal."

"I know that. But I don't want you to leave." He shuffled closer and wrapped an arm around her waist. "Despite the looming danger, it has been nice having you here."

Gillian smiled. "It has."

Cal leant closer, his free hand taking hold of hers and entwining their fingers. "Stay," he implored softly.

"I've got to get William home before he-"

"Stay forever."

"Cal…"

"Move in."

"Cal…"

"Marry me."

There was a brief flash of surprise on her face but then she laughed out loud. "You really have enjoyed this week."

"Is that a yes?"

"You're just disappointed that you'll have to go back to doing all the chores yourself."

"Well, can you blame me? Even William cleans better than I do."

"True."

"It's not about the chores, Gillian. It feels right having you both here."

"Cal, you don't- … You're just panicking. We'll be fine as we were."

"Panicking? Right. Well, see the thing is…" He stood up and Gillian's heart clenched, fearing she had offended him.

"Cal – "

He stopped at the sideboard and opened a drawer. "I started panicking about you leaving before you'd even moved in," he told her.

When he turned round he was holding a small velvet box. Gillian's heart clenched for entirely different reasons. Her surprise had her standing from the couch and her laugh this time was out of shock and nerves. "Cal," she breathed, almost a question.

"I bought this two weeks ago."

And realisation dawned. "Dinner?"

Cal nodded, walking slowly towards her as she explained, "I was going to ask you on Christmas Eve, but I got tired of waiting." He smiled, widely. "Then when our dinner plans were scuppered, I knew if I asked you'd just think it was me panicking; a reaction to what was going on and me being terrified of losing you. So I decided to go back to the Christmas Eve plan…"

He stopped in front of her, and she tried to control the excited smile that she could feel had already taken up residence on her lips.

"… But now it seems crazy for you to move all your stuff back to your house when you're going to say yes."

Gillian couldn't stop the smile but she did raise her eyebrows at that assumption. "Oh I am?"

Cal inched closer. "Yeah. You love me. William loves me. He likes my house more than yours."

"That's because you bribed him with an adventure playground."

Cal grinned, proudly, and didn't dispute that point. "Well, now I'm bribing you with sparkly diamonds."

"You know that isn't necessary."

"Tradition, love. I need everyone to see that you're mine."

"The warning glare you shoot at every man we come across achieves that."

"This will be so much easier."

He nudged even closer, his free hand coming to rest on her back and encouraging her towards him. "Go on, darling," he whispered, "marry me."

"Okay," she whispered in return.

Cal's eyes widened as if he couldn't quite believe it. "Okay?"

"Okay," she repeated. "Of course I'll marry you."

She just had time to register Cal's resulting grin before his lips crashed onto hers and he kissed her fervently. He wrapped his arms around her holding her as close as possible, not that it was necessary as she wound hers over his shoulders pushing herself closer anyway.

When they parted they were both grinning inanely and they shared two more kisses before Gillian teased, "Er, Cal…"

"Yeah?"

"You promised me diamonds."

"And you said they weren't necessary."

She shrugged one shoulder. "Wouldn't want them to go to waste."

"Absolutely not."

He moved backwards just enough to bring his hands between them and open the box.

Gillian looked down at the ring inside – a central diamond sat atop an antique gold band, nestled between two smaller stones - and her breath caught as she realised what he had done.

"Obviously I've never seen your Grandmother's ring, so it couldn't be exact, but… This is inspired by your description of it," Cal explained as he took the ring out and dropped the box onto the couch.

"Cal," Gillian breathed, speechless at the lengths he had gone to; overwhelmed by what that meant.

He took hold of her left hand and tenderly slipped the ring onto her finger.

There were tears in her eyes when she looked up at him. "You've been planning this for a long time," she observed, quietly.

Cal shrugged. "A month or -"

"Five?"

His lips curved into a sheepish smile. "Yeah. I had to balance my eagerness to ask you with the likelihood that you would think it too soon."

"You decided five months was long enough?"

"Do you think it's too soon?"

She thought about that. About the months she spent trying to convince herself that she was not in love with Cal; the time spent fighting away images of him as William's father. Unsuccessful, all of it. And she thought about London; about the five months since; about the last few days…

"If you'd asked me any earlier, I probably would have tried to argue that it was."

"But now?"

"Well now is perfect," she beamed, "… I don't want to go home."

… …

Emily's reaction was predictably high-pitched and squeal-filled. She hugged both Cal and Gillian tightly; spent time adoring the ring.

William watched it all with a curious look on his face.

"Cal will be my new Dad?" he asked.

Gillian knew that her previous answers to that question were probably causing him great confusion now. "Er, yes, honey. When we get married, Cal will be your new dad."

William pursed his lips and looked at Cal. "Good."

Gillian released a breath she hadn't even realised she was holding.

William switched his focus back to her. "Will your name be Lightyear?"

She hadn't thought about that yet. "Well, I - … Yes. My name will be Lightman."

William seemed to consider that. "Will my name be Lightman?"

Gillian smiled. "If you want it to be."

And a smile lit up William's face for the first time since Cal and Gillian's announcement. "I do," he told her and she laughed to herself. Of course he did. Even though he had said 'Lightman' in his question, she suspected that he was jumping at the chance to be named 'Lightyear'.

So she was surprised, and humbled, when he added, "I want my name to be the same as yours."

THE END


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